Targa Cabriolet conversion

Hi,

I know squat about Porsche's but have always wanted one for
fun weekend driving, in particular a cab. This pretty much
mandates not spending a whole lot of money. I've come across
a '79 Targa that's been converted to a cabriolet... which I thought
pretty strange - body flex and such - but maybe it's not that
crazy, depending exactly on what the function of that 'rollbar'
is that's on the Targa... is it 'really' there to stiffen the
body as in the VW Golf? Or is the Targa's body indeed essentially
that of the convertible? Any thoughts appreciated

cheers

"Guenter Scholz" <scholz (AT) sciborg (DOT) uwaterloo.ca> wrote

Hi,

I know squat about Porsche's but have always wanted one for
fun weekend driving, in particular a cab. This pretty much
mandates not spending a whole lot of money. I've come across
a '79 Targa that's been converted to a cabriolet... which I thought
pretty strange - body flex and such - but maybe it's not that
crazy, depending exactly on what the function of that 'rollbar'
is that's on the Targa... is it 'really' there to stiffen the
body as in the VW Golf? Or is the Targa's body indeed essentially
that of the convertible? Any thoughts appreciated

cheers

I'd be very careful about a converted cab. That era Targa wasn't the
stiffest chassis to begin with (don't get me wrong, I had a 74 Targa and
loved it). The Targa bar does indeed contribute considerable stiffness to
the chassis. Unless the conversion was done by *experts* it's probably an
iffy deal. At the very least check the door fit. It should be 'perfect' in
all respects. If the gap isn't exactly the same all the way around, or if
it doesn't close and open just the way it should, run away. Then again, if
you can get it cheap (you should, conversions of any type are generally
undesireable) and just want a fun toy, it may serve you well.

Alan

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 03:35:39 +0000 (UTC), scholz (AT) sciborg (DOT) uwaterloo.ca
(Guenter Scholz) wrote:

Or is the Targa's body indeed essentially
that of the convertible? Any thoughts appreciated

The targa body is the same as the convertible AFTER the convertible
came into existence in 1983. An 83 or later targa changed to cabriolet
would be the same as factory in terms of stiffness; an 82 or older
wouldn't have the same reinforcements and would be (in my opinion)
unacceptably loose.
epbrown
--
How can you know where I'm at if you haven't been where I been?
Can you see where I'm coming from? "How I Could Just Kill A Man" Cypress Hill

......many, many thanks to both of you for the excellent information about
the difference between these and advice. Seems a '79 SC Targa to Cabriolet
is something that I might stay away from, especially at the 18 to 22K asking
price.... I'm going to concentrate on a 964 Targa, something I really
had wanted all along in any case.... a little more opportunity there for
DIY given better fuel injection and, I'm guessing here, OBD2 compliant ECU.

cheers and many thanks again

guenter

In article <n46dncvrGpoR7ZrbnZ2dnUVZ_qKdnZ2d (AT) comcast (DOT) com>,
The Dead Senator <deadsenator (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Guenter Scholz wrote:
DIY given better fuel injection and, I'm guessing here, OBD2 compliant ECU.

That would be an OBD-I car.

OBD-II = 1996 and up.


DS
95 993 Coupe

.... Ohh, thanks for that. Well, at least it well tell me if the voltage

was low at some point or another or if the A/C is working ... :-) By the
way, am I correct to assume that the 993 represents the pinnacle of the 911
series?

cheers, guenter

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:47:29 +0000 (UTC), scholz (AT) sciborg (DOT) uwaterloo.ca
(Guenter Scholz) wrote:

By the
way, am I correct to assume that the 993 represents the pinnacle of the 911
series?

To some. It was the last air-cooled rear-engine sports car from

Porsche, and it's a great one. I'm more inclined to lump the 993 in
with the 996 and 997, myself; I don't see engine-cooling as the
dividing line for the range.
epbrown
--
How can you know where I'm at if you haven't been where I been?
Can you see where I'm coming from? "How I Could Just Kill A Man" Cypress Hill